G4 Boyz Talk “Local Scammer”, Blade Brown, The UK & US Drill Scene, Their Journey & More!

The G4 Boyz are one of the many artists helping to bridge the gap between the US and UK Drill music scene. Made up of two brothers, Ice Baby and Buggy, the pair have been making music for a hot minute. With a hefty catalogue behind them and a slew of boast-worthy features including Tory Lanez, Migos, Blade Brown, Wale, Rich The Kid and more, the duo, more recently have been taking the drill scene by storm. Known for their charismatic and fun-filed energy not only musically but through there uplifting personalities, Ice Baby and Buggy have formed their own distinct, raw and energised sound that’s caught the eyes of many. Having dropped their most prominent track to date; ‘Local Scammer’ featuring UK rapper G4choppa and more recently ‘419’, this is just the beginning for the duo.

I caught up with the G4 Boyz to talk all things music, their relationship with God, their upbringing, the UK and US Drill take-over, the ‘Local Scammer Remix’ and more –  with a few note worthy gems to take in! 

What was it like for you both growing up? Was music something you were always around from a young age?

Ice Baby: Music was always in our life because my dad, my uncle and my mum always played wild music, it didn’t matter what it was! When we were in the projects, my mum used to play music all the time and my uncle would come downstairs –

Buggy: No, but what type of music?

Ice Baby: All types of music! Okay so, Micheal Jackson, a lot of African music and people like Barry White and Marvin Gaye – that’s why we’re so smooth!

Oh, so you got it from Marvin Gaye? *laughs*

Ice Baby: Yeah! *laughs*

Buggy: *laughs* I mean, we’ve always listen to the older music from a young age. That’s why it’s crazy for people like us to sing along to certain songs because people are like ‘Yo! How do you know that song?!’ Our mum’s and papa’s were always playing us music from very early on. 

I know you’ve both said previously that at one point you never took music seriously due to the money. Obviously there was a point where you both decided that you were going to take music seriously and you sat down and were like ‘lets do this!’ –  Were there any artists, songs or even a specific moment that triggered that?

Ice Baby: I want you to explain the story to her and exactly how you did it to make and it made be like ‘Ighttt let’s do it’ –

Buggy: Okay, so basically! *laughs* Before music came around, we were both into making money in different ways!

Ice Baby: All praise to God! *laughs*

Buggy: *laughs* So for me, I remember having all this money saved up and not to sound cheesy but I was feeling really empty. I knew that there was only so far I could go with this type of money – what can I buy with street cash, you know? I had watched this documentary called ‘The Secret’ and I used that time to reflect on myself and recognise what I really wanted to do, I started to find myself with God a lot more. I really wanted to take music seriously but it was tough because my brother on the other hand wasn’t trying to take it seriously! A lot of rappers don’t really have money, they be cappin’ and acting like they have money when actually they’re really struggling. There deals are messed up or end up in situations – it’s just bad! My brother was always like “I don’t care we need to make money, music isn’t making me money so i’m cool!” so I just kept pounding it into him like “Yo, this fast money isn’t going to last forever, at some point something’s going to happen!”.

My brother is super talented, one day I found a beat and I said “Just do this one song for me! If this song doesn’t work I promise we can leave music alone!” it was a crazy promise to keep but we did it! That’s when my brother came up with the song ‘Patek Philippe’, once he made it I was like “Wow this sounds really good!”. I knew that the marketing I had to do for this had to work  because, if it didn’t it was just going to be me! I came up with a marketing campaign that made the song go viral in the strip clubs, and then Tory Lanez reached out to hop on there and from there, it started going crazy!

Ice! Did you like that? Did I miss anything?! Any sprinkles?!

Ice Baby: Everything was marvellous! *laughs* 

I was looking back through your catalogue of music earlier and you guys have been doing music for a hot minute! You’ve even got some pretty big features on there including Blade Brown – it’s crazy! In what ways do you think you’ve grown musically? Because you’re sound up until now has changed which naturally comes with artist growth. So how do you think you’ve grown? Even if it’s through the business and the industry itself…

Ice Baby: What I’ve learned in music, is that now we are giving you us! We are now giving you what we want to do! That was the whole point behind me not wanting to make music, my brother is constant with “music, music, music!” and I felt like I couldn’t do what I really wanted to do. We weren’t giving the people the real us, we were scared because we were making money over here. So, if we do something over there and the boys (police) would be all over us – we couldn’t express ourselves. However, now with us tapping into what we want to do and creating this whole new world of ‘Scam Drill’ – I’ve learned that there’s a way you put it out, there’s a way that you deliver, it’s marketing and it’s a whole lot more than just the talent! And to tell you the truth, if you don’t have God in your life you will never succeed! Amen!

Buggy: Amen! Going onto Blade Brown (‘Toma’ Remix), even though we have a different line of trapping; hustlers respect hustlers – you feel me? Blade Brown reached out to us on Twitter, we’ve always been in tune with the UK scene. Now, the UK drill scene has become a big thing but we’ve always been in tune from a young age because there’s a lot of Africans in London! You guys are deep! *laughs* You guys have always showed us love even when the American’s were acting a little funny – the UK always showed us love! Blade Brown did a song with us and people out here we’re like ‘Who’s that funny dude with the accent on your songs? Take him off!’ but we kept him on because we liked it! That was the beginning process of us doing what we wanted to do. 

Being brothers do you guys ever get that competitive nature when you’re in the studio – Who’s got the best bars?

Buggy: You know what it is! Ice has a different style than mine so we’re in two different lanes. When Ice goes on a song in my personal opinion – he does what he does and I do what I do…I’m just always better! *laughs*

Ice Baby: Wait! That’s a lie! *laughs* When it comes to us making music, we push ourselves to do certain things better. We definitely have two different type of styles and you can tell that on every single record. I might come this way and he might be more detailed another way – I’m Michael Jordan and he’s Scottie Pippen!

Buggy: What! *laughs*

Ice Baby: *laughs* It’s the last dance! That’s what it is!

Buggy: Nah, it’s the truth though! In the beginning it was tough because we wanted to try and impress everybody, but as my brother said, we started making music for ourselves and our own people because these days you don’t really hear to much high self-esteem music for Africans or foreigners in general! It’s always about what’s popping in the hood and that’s cool but we wanted to make self-esteem music for our own people. Growing up, I never heard of Africans out here on some fly shit! Of course you had people like Wale but they didn’t really rep Africa. I just wanted to make it for the youth and make it lit!

Ice Baby: That’s crazy! Even with Lil Tjay, he’s African! He’s Ghanian! Damn, I just found that out!

Buggy: Maybe it’s because of the stigma…growing up, even black people made fun of me because I was African. It wasn’t just white people, it was the people that looked just like me. It was weird being African, no-one wanted to be African! Everyone wanted to be Jamaican because of people like Sean Paul and Kartel – it was lit. However, for Africans there wasn’t really a ‘guy’ and we had to be like ‘Yo! It’s okay!’ but we are our own people now! Holla! 

Ice Baby: All praise God!

Buggy: Yes, all praise God! 

Let’s talk about ‘Local Scammer’ – absolute banger! Did you ever anticipate how big it would get? Even over here in the UK, it’s a song that everyone is always talking about! It’s on peoples Instagram stories, Snapchat stories – you name it, it’s there! It must be quite surreal in knowing that the song reached as far as it did…

Ice Baby: We didn’t know! All we knew was that we are going to make music for our people. Let people come to our world, instead of us trying to go to other peoples world! Come see what we do over here! It doesn’t matter what race you are, what colour, what skin texture or hair texture – you are going to enjoy and you are going to learn how to be the best and be successful in the grace of the Lord! Amen!

Buggy: You never really know! It was the first type of sound in terms of US and UK ‘Scam music’ – we didn’t know if it was going to work! At that point, we were just tired of trying to please people and instead wanted to make music that we wanted to hear as kids growing up to give us self-esteem and that’s what came! You always hear about everyone selling drugs, there is no sound track for the scammers! Everyone is a scammer now man! If you rang your bank and tell them that you didn’t make that charge even though you did…you’re a scammer! *laughs* In some shape, way or form everyone has a little scam in them and that’s why I feel like the song really resonated with a lot of people.

Ice Baby: Yo Elle, have you ever scammed before? 

I haven’t, no!

Ice Baby: Are you sure?

Buggy: You’re lying! *laughs*

Im not lying! *laughs*

Buggy: It could be something so small! Have you ever successfully fooled anybody for money?

No!

Ice Baby: Really?!

Yes! *laughs*

Buggy: So let’s just say, you’ve purchased something online right! You’ve purchased anything and your like ‘Man! I’ve spent too much money on this and I need some extra cash, let me call my bank and tell them I didn’t make that transaction and they’re going to credit me that money..’

No!

Buggy: Wow! Well damn, there’s a brand new scam for you! Go have fun with it! *laughs* Okay well, basically ‘Local Scammer’ is like your alter ego! 

What about the remix? Anyone we can expect to hear on it?

Ice Baby: Hmm, have you heard about it?

I’ve heard that there’s going to be both UK and US artists on it!

Ice Baby: Well, just know…it’s going to be something serious! 

The US Drill scene and the UK drill scene have really bridged the gap over the last year or so – What factors do you think played into this ‘takeover’ doing so well?

Ice Baby: Wow! That’s a very good question! First of all, we all have to give props to Chief Keef and to Chicago because they started the drill scene! I feel like it got developed to a whole different level when Bobby Shmurda came in and just using UK drill was a whole different type of ground. The beat formula was a completely different wave and no-one had ever heard of that. You hear one way of Hip-Hop, you don’t hear multiple ways of Hip-Hop. It’s just straight raw and with us…not to be too cocky but we’ve come onto the scene and given you another element of drill. It’s pushed it further to a whole different level.

Buggy: For me, the only person I heard bridge the gap between UK and US besides us because we had a song with Blade Brown..is Drake! Putting people like Skepta and Giggs onto records! However, with us we are doing it on a street level and bridging the gap on some street shit! It’s big to be from America and hear a guy from the UK (G4choppa) on the hook and it being played on every single radio station out here – that’s big! American’s don’t really get the accent because you guys talk properly – you guys are the real deal! They’re like “Man! Turn that off!”, that’s why with an artist like G4choppa, he’s signed to G4 – we really want to help him grow a sound that people over here can also gravitate towards. 

I know you said earlier that you both stay in tune with the UK scene. Are there any Drill artists or songs in the UK that you guys listen to or would want to collaborate with? In-fact it doesn’t even have to be drill!

Buggy: I like Headie One and Unknown T! They’re not drill but I really like NSG, but on a drill wave I’ve definitely heard of a rapper called DigDat. I try and keep my ear close to what’s poppin’ out there. But, it’s definitely Headie One though!

Ice Baby: Ermm, I like J Hus! I also really like this guy right here *shows phone* –

Oh, Aitch!

Ice Baby: Yeah, Aitch! We’re actually talking on DM’s right now, he might have a ‘Local Scammer’…you just never know!

Ooouuuu!

Ice Baby: Unknown T – that’s the boy!

Buggy: I like AJ Tracey too but he’s more of the mainstream sound!

Ice Baby: Yeah I like him too, I think Octavian is cool! He’s fire!

Buggy: I also listen to this one artist all the time, his name is G4choppa! 

More recently things have really started to take off for you both! What helps you to stay focused?

Buggy: Prayer!

Ice Baby: Yeah for real! It’s just having God, don’t get too gassed or air headed. One thing about this, it comes and it goes. God will humble you!

Buggy: Don’t get it twisted, we all try to be better but just in general you’ve gotta be humble. Just stay focused and know that it comes and it will go. Make sure that you try and help as many people as you can that really need it, stay focused, pray and stay out of jealous peoples way! They are the real evil people! 

We are living in some crazy times at the moment – What have you guys been doing to stay motivated musically?

Ice Baby: For me, we have a studio right in the crib so we’ve kept on recording. These times we just pray for the best so we can hopefully go back outside and make things shake. You have to stay focused, this is the time where you can break or you can overcome it – we never stop!

Buggy: It does suck though because a lot of artists live from show to show or host everything. I know a lot of artists are really suffering, so hopefully God show’s us some mercy! I think this whole Coronavirus thing is really deep so hopefully everything can get back to normal soon so we can come back to London! We had a show out there in March and it was crazy! 

Was it?

Buggy: Wait, hold on! You didn’t come?!

No I didn’t go!

Ice Baby: Nooooo! Oh no!

I know – shocking from me!

Buggy: She’s wildin’ bro! *laughs*

Ice Baby: That’s why I was looking at you funny at the start because I thought I saw you there!

No! *laughs*

Buggy: But yeah, hopefully we can get back to work, besides that I’ve just been working out, recording!

Have you got any Netflix recommendations?

Buggy: Oh, Netflix? I’m a big big movie watcher! I think I’ve finished every single movie on Netflix to the point where I started watching reality shows.

Ice Baby: Mine is ‘Money Heist’, I love ‘Money Heist’!

Buggy: I do have a list though! I’m really into Thrillers – you should watch ‘What Happened To Monday’, ‘The Invitation’ and ‘I.T’ – Ima send you the list! This is a very secretive list, I don’t give it out because it takes a lot of time to put this together! *laughs* What do you watch? 

I watch Thrillers as well, or any documentaries to do with Crime or –

Buggy: Have you seen Tiger King?!

I have but I didn’t finish it because I didn’t really know if I liked it! I thought it was a bit weird!

Buggy: *laughs* Yeah same! It takes a while to get into it! I was watching it and I thought “This dude is crazy!”, it did get better though!

What more can we expect to see from you this coming year?

Ice Baby: Marvellous things, beautiful things!

Buggy: When’s the new music dropping though…that’s what I want to know!

Ice Baby: Might drop that one in June!

Buggy: How many songs? Just one? Can we drop two songs?

Ice Baby: It really depends on what she wants!

Buggy: Ok, ima ask you – how many songs shall we drop next month? It’s getting hot and I think you need more ego music!

Two songs!

Buggy: Mixtape Madness, you got two songs coming! 


Keep up to date with the G4 Boyz via their Instagram here – Ice Baby and Buggy.